Beam exposure device

Abstract

A beam exposure device includes a light-emitting unit for emitting light beams from a plurality of light-emitting positions, a scan unit, an optical condensing system for condensing a spot of the light beams onto a surface to be exposed, and a micro-deflection unit for micro-deflecting the plurality of light beams to expose the space between the beams in the plurality of light beams. The optical condensing system includes a first microlens array arranged between the light-emitting unit and the micro-deflection unit and provided with a plurality of microlenses corresponding to the light-emitting positions; and a second microlens array arranged between the micro-deflection unit and the surface to be exposed and provided with a plurality of microlenses each microlens corresponding to the light-emitting unit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A beam exposure device comprising:
 a light-emitting unit that emits light beams from a plurality of light-emitting positions spaced at predetermined intervals along one direction; 
 a scan unit that moves one or both of a surface to be exposed to a plurality of light beams and the light-emitting unit relatively in another direction intersecting with the one direction; 
 an optical condensing system that condenses a spot of the light beam emitted from the light-emitting unit onto the surface to be exposed; and 
 a micro-deflection unit that micro-deflects the plurality of light beams to expose the space between the beams in the plurality of light beams; 
 wherein the optical condensing system includes:
 a first microlens array arranged between the light-emitting unit and the micro-deflection unit, and provided with a plurality of microlenses with each of the microlens corresponding to the light-emitting position in the light-emitting unit; 
 a second microlens array arranged between the micro-deflection unit and the surface to be exposed, and provided with a plurality of microlenses with each microlens corresponding to the light-emitting position in the light-emitting unit; and 
 an optical projection system that forms an image of the light-emitting position in the light-emitting unit at a focal position of each microlens in the first microlens array, 
 
 the first microlens array converts each of the light beams in the plurality of light beams into parallel light and causes the parallel light to be incident on the micro-deflection unit, and 
 the second microlens array condenses the plurality of light beams individually onto the surface to be exposed. 
 
     
     
       2. The beam exposure device according to  claim 1 , wherein the optical projection system is a magnification optical projection system. 
     
     
       3. The beam exposure device according to  claim 1 , wherein the micro-deflection unit is composed of an acousto-optical element. 
     
     
       4. The beam exposure device according to  claim 3 , further comprising a relay lens system that forms an image of the diffraction surface in the micro-deflection unit near the second microlens array. 
     
     
       5. The beam exposure device according to  claim 4 , further comprising a compensating optical element arranged between the micro-deflection unit and the relay lens system, which causes the image of the diffraction surface to be orthogonal to an optical axis of the second microlens array.